MusicBoxer.com

So, Lisa Hannigan was recently nominated for her first Mercury music prize, and just congratulations are most definitely due. Her debut album Sea Saw is whimsical and purely melodic and is deserved of, at the very least, a genuine golf clap for the major step out of Damien Rice’s shadow it represents (for those of you who don’t know, Hannigan was his musical other half until they split creative ways in 2007).

A talented and beautiful songstress, Hannigan represents a burgeoning music scene that mixes a bit of folk, a bit of fun and a bit of free-spirit specific of a very certain group of people: those fanciful Irish.

In 1991, Colm Meaney – as a now iconic, Elvis-loving Mr. Rabitte from the north side of Dublin – prophetically said to his celluloid son, a would-be manager of the upstart Irish soul band, The Commitments: “I’ll bet you U2 are shitting themselves.” As if Dublin soul wouldn’t work. As if U2 was the first and last this world would see of a race of people so in tune with their want and need of expression, they have defiantly owned (or pwned for those of you born after 1980) all rights to “the gift of gab.”

Fast forward to 2009. Glen Hansard – former Commitments guitar player Outspan Foster, front man of The Frames and current Oscar winner for his original song “Falling Slowly” from the indie-classic “Once,” started the indigestion. Wildly successful, arena-filling pin-ups Snow Patrol called for a life-time supply of Tums. And now, Lisa Hannigan – and the ever-growing homogenous Irish music scene she represents are clogging toilets from Bono to the Edge.

I realize the poor allusion, but go with me.

Thank goodness the Irish never stopped making music. If they had- the reputation of the whole of the creative country would have gone down with the likes of “Zooropa.”

Enter one Gavin Glass. Hannigan’s guitarist by day, Glass has certainly carved a niche all his own. In 2007, he released his first go, Gavin Glass and the Holy Shakers – a raucous concoction of Southern soul, sin and salvation. Blending introspective, insufferable writing genetically indicative of his Irish roots with soulful American Southern revival rock, Glass put deep creases carved out by depth of character to the face of the consistent, albeit contently symptomatic, singer-songwriters who have dominated the Irish scene for the better part of a decade.

And people liked.

Simply stated, he was – and is – refreshing: a revival-esque throwback to a time in THIS country when pain – and the strength it provoked – was worth celebrating; when tradition met with torment and everything we thought was black and white was colored by unexpected, invigorating, enterprising chance.

I know the reason I’m in love with music: there’s always something new to discover. And, when you do… without explanation… the hair on the back of your neck gets pushed up by the swelling behind your eyes, in your stomach, your heart and you have no choice but to let it all out because you’re just so goddamn incapable of letting it push any more.

I know this is love. I recognized it the instant it started to play.

Not quite released / recorded – “Sleight of Hand,” is by far, my favorite tune by Glass. How one cannot choke up at lyrics like: “It’s not magic, it’s only sleight of hand,” is a mystery to me. Glass’ sophomore album – due out sometime next year (he spent the better half of spring 2009 recording in Nashville, y’all) will feature this haunt.

Gavin Glass is not only making U2 defecate themselves – he’s reminded this Mic of how proud she is of the “American” part of that “Irish-American” tag. I always knew our Southern music had ties to its Irish ancestors, but hearing Glass do bluegrass rock makes me feel like the son who knows how proud dad is of his accomplishments.

Good on ya’, brother.

Here’s a professionally done video for “Older than My Years.” Check it out.

And, if you ever have the chance to visit Ireland – perhaps you will have the good fortune of taking in one of his live performances (well, of this orchestration caliber – as of yet, in the States, he’s relegated to acoustically opening for his pal Lisa on her first major tour).

Yes – these are Irish kids. Enjoy.